Maybe right now the best thing a woman can do it to decide her own sexuality and let everything else fall where it may. The catch-22 extends to all sides. No matter what level or mix of "availability" or "purity" there are punishments and rewards. Even saving oneself is a kind of specialized whoredom. It may not be monetarily commidified by virginity/ near virginity still has a strong social pull - one which a lot earns a lot of women privilege, sometimes financial, as well as affection and approval from a different subset of people and of a different tinge.
The patriarchal view must go. Sacred whore, sacred virgin, good mother, bad mother - there is no role or place where a woman can be judged and not found wanting - there will be punishment one way or another.
I'm not going to spout the "empowering" "free choice" bullshit that a lot of pro-sex people do. But at the same time, I think a lot of the "anti-prostitution/porn" feminists are overlooking something very important. Unless the whole system changes women have nothing to gain from the supression and social denigration of sex workers. Some things will be traded. Like unreasonable body images may get more reasonable. But at the same time, the more sexwork is demonized more than other roles, the more power patriarchy is given to limit the choices of those who don't want to be chaste. The easier it becomes to threaten women with "behave - or all you will be able to do is be a whore."
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2006-03-10 05:39 am (UTC)The patriarchal view must go. Sacred whore, sacred virgin, good mother, bad mother - there is no role or place where a woman can be judged and not found wanting - there will be punishment one way or another.
I'm not going to spout the "empowering" "free choice" bullshit that a lot of pro-sex people do. But at the same time, I think a lot of the "anti-prostitution/porn" feminists are overlooking something very important. Unless the whole system changes women have nothing to gain from the supression and social denigration of sex workers. Some things will be traded. Like unreasonable body images may get more reasonable. But at the same time, the more sexwork is demonized more than other roles, the more power patriarchy is given to limit the choices of those who don't want to be chaste. The easier it becomes to threaten women with "behave - or all you will be able to do is be a whore."